Rockets that launch satellites into orbit need less thrust when fired from
A) Cape Canaveral in Florida.
B) Edwards Air Force Base in California.
C) Hawaii.
D) location does not affect the required rocket thrust.
Answer:
The source of electrons in a simple electric circuit is
A) the voltage source.
B) energy stored in the voltage source.
C) energy released by the voltage source.
D) the electrical circuit itself.
E) none of the above
Answer:
Light behaves primarily as a particle when it
A) travels from one place to another.
B) interacts with matter.
C) both of these
D) neither of these
Answer:
A 60-W and a 100-W light bulb are rated at 120V. Which bulb has a higher resistance?
A) 60-W bulb
B) 100-W bulb
C) both the same.
Answer:
An atomic model of the atom is
A) a symbolic representation of the atom.
B) a stepping stone to further understanding.
C) an abstraction enabling predictions.
D) all of the above
Answer:
A sheet of paper can be quickly jerked beneath a container of milk without toppling,
which best demonstrates
A) net force.
B) the difference between force and mass.
C) inertia.
Answer:
A horizontal wooden beam sags a bit when supported at its ends. In between the top and
bottom surfaces is a region of
A) tension.
B) compression.
C) neither of these
Answer:
The energy dissipated in a light bulb in a circuit is provided by the
A) lamp filament itself.
B) wires leading to the lamp.
C) voltage source.
D) none of the above
Answer:
The difference between Newton’s law as a proportion and an equation involves
A) the constant G.
B) the equal sign.
C) one being a vector and the other not.
D) magnitude and direction.
Answer:
A 1056-hertz tuning fork is struck at the same time as a note on the piano and you hear
2 beats/second. You tighten the piano string very slightly and then hear 3 beats/second.
What is the frequency of the piano string?
A) 1053 hertz
B) 1054 hertz
C) 1056 hertz
D) 1058 hertz
E) 1059 hertz
Answer:
On each given day and location, tides rise and fall at
A) about the same time.
B) exactly the same time.
C) different times.
D) ever increasing rates daily.
Answer:
The image of the “infinitely-far-away” Sun produced by a converging lens appears
A) between the lens and the focal point.
B) at the focal point.
C) beyond the focal point.
Answer:
Light of different colors in a vacuum travel at
A) different speeds.
B) the same speed.
C) the same speed in both a vacuum and all materials.
Answer:
If Earth had a pair of identical moons on opposite sides of the same circular orbit, the
center of gravity of the double-moon-Earth system would be
A) inside the Earth, but off center.
B) at the center of the Earth.
C) outside the Earth, but within the orbital path of the moons.
D) outside the Earth, but beyond the orbital path of the moons.
Answer:
If a satellite travels at constant speed at all points in its orbit, then its path is
1) a circle.
2) an ellipse.
3) a parabola.
It travels at constant speed because
4) the net force acting on the satellite is zero.
5) it is characteristic for a satellite to travel at constant speed in this type of orbit.
6) gravitational force decreases with increasing distance.
7) there is no component of gravitational pull directed along the satellite’s path.
8) of inertia.
Answer:
The pressure at the bottom of a geyser is
A) less than nearer the top.
B) the same as nearer the top
C) greater than nearer the top.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
Answer:
Which of these units of temperature is larger?
A) a Celsius degree
B) a Kelvin
C) both are the same size
D) none of the above
Answer:
A parallelogram is a four-sided figure with opposite sides that are
A) equal.
B) parallel.
C) at right angles.
D) none of the above
Answer:
Suzie Skydiver, who weighs 500 N, reaches terminal velocity of 90 km/h. The air
resistance on Suzie is then
A) 90 N.
B) 250 N.
C) 410 N.
D) 500 N.
E) none of the above
Answer:
A heavy meterstick has mass m. When the meterstick is thrown like a spear past you at
speed v, you measure its momentum to be 2mv. What do you measure its length to be?
A) 1 m
B) 0.87 m
C) 0.5 m
D) 0.25 m
E) none of the above
Answer:
Angular momentum is conserved for a satellite in
A) circular orbit.
B) elliptical orbit.
C) both of these
D) neither of these
Answer:
An electron beam directed through a magnetic field
A) may be deflected.
B) may experience a force.
C) both of these
D) neither of these
Answer:
When no forces act on moving objects their paths are normally
A) straight lines.
B) circles.
C) ellipses.
D) all of the above
Answer:
Which of these has the greatest mass?
A) proton
B) electron
C) both of these
D) neither of these
Answer:
A heavy iron ball is placed in an aluminum pie pan that floats in a bucket. The water
level at the side of the bucket is marked. Then the ball is removed and allowed to sink
in the bucket. The water line at the side of the bucket
A) goes down.
B) is the same.
C) rises.
Answer:
As monochromatic light passes from air to glass and back to air, changes occur in its
A) wavelength.
B) speed.
C) both of these
D) neither of these
Answer:
Wave interference occurs for
A) sound waves.
B) light waves.
C) water waves.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
Answer:
A nucleon has a mass of about
A) 1 amu.
B) 1 atomic mass unit.
C) both are the same.
D) none of the above
Answer:
The shortest distance between two points on a curved surface is a
A) straight line.
B) geodesic.
C) neither of these
Answer:
A metal block has a mass of 5 grams and a volume of 1 cubic centimeter. A piece of the
same kind of metal with a volume of 2 cubic centimeters has a density of
A) 2.5 g/cm3.
B) 5 g/cm3.
C) 10 g/cm3.
Answer:
If you drop a stone into a hole drilled all the way to the other side of Earth (neglect the
molten core), the stone will
A) come to an abrupt stop at Earth’s center.
B) speed up until it gets to Earth’s center.
C) speed up until it reaches Earth’s other side.
D) slow down until it reaches Earth’s center.
Answer:
The volume of matter is due mostly to its
A) protons.
B) electrons.
C) both of these
Answer:
In cold weather, your hands will be warmer if you wear
A) gloves.
B) mittens.
C) both the same
Answer: